1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light-emitting apparatus including a plurality of organic light-emitting devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic light-emitting devices under development each principally include the following components: a first electrode disposed above a substrate; an organic compound layer which is disposed on the first electrode and which includes a plurality of sub-layers having different functions such as a charge transport function and a charge recombination function, and a second electrode disposed on the organic compound layer. The organic light-emitting devices are arranged above the substrate to form a light-emitting section. An organic light-emitting apparatus includes the above members. A circuit section for driving the organic light-emitting devices is disposed above the substrate and extends along the light-emitting section. The circuit and light-emitting sections are connected to each other with wiring lines.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-013893 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-353594 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2) disclose organic light-emitting apparatuses that each include a light-emitting section including a plurality of organic light-emitting devices arranged above a substrate, a circuit section located outside the light-emitting section, wiring lines extending outside the light-emitting section, and a resin layer. According to Patent Documents 1 and 2, the resin layer extends from the light-emitting section over the circuit section and the wiring lines.
The organic light-emitting apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 further includes an interlayer insulating layer (planarization layer) which is made of a resin material and which extends between pixel thin-film transistors and pixel electrodes arranged in a pixel section and also extends over a source-side driving circuit (FIG. 11 and Example 11 of Patent Document 1). The interlayer insulating layer (planarization layer) covers surface irregularities and is effective in preventing layers deposited in the organic light-emitting devices from being broken, being short-circuited, or irregularly emitting light.
The organic light-emitting apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 further includes a bank which is made of an organic material and which extends between and around a plurality of pixels arranged in a display section and also extends to a data-side driving circuit and scanning-side driving circuit arranged outside the display section (FIG. 3 of Patent Document 2). The bank is effective in preventing organic compounds contained in the neighboring pixels from being mixed with each other.
A light-emitting apparatuses including organic light-emitting devices needs to be manufactured in such a manner that moisture and oxygen are strictly controlled so as not to penetrate the organic light-emitting devices, because the organic light-emitting devices are extremely susceptible to moisture and oxygen. When the light-emitting apparatus includes a resin layer (planarization layer) disposed between a substrate and lower electrodes which are included in the organic light-emitting devices and which are located on the substrate side or a resin layer (separation layer) extending between and around the organic light-emitting devices, a method for manufacturing the light-emitting apparatus includes a dehydration step because the resin layer contains a large amount of moisture. However, it is difficult to sufficiently remove moisture from the resin layers through the dehydration step. Therefore, there is a problem in that the moisture contained in the resin layer penetrates the organic light-emitting devices to damage the organic light-emitting devices. The damage of the organic light-emitting devices caused by the moisture contained in the resin layer is particularly serious for regions around a light-emitting section including the organic light-emitting devices. According to Patent Documents 1 and 2, although those resin layers are located around those light-emitting sections, the organic light-emitting apparatuses are unprotected from the problem due to moisture and therefore have a problem that the moisture contained in those resin layers damages those organic light-emitting devices.
This resin layer extends from this light-emitting section over wiring lines extending around this light-emitting section and also extends over a circuit section so as to physically protect these wiring lines and this circuit section from external contacts and so as to electrically insulate these wiring lines and this circuit section from electrodes of these organic light-emitting devices. Therefore, this resin layer needs to extend over this circuit section and wiring lines which are located around this light-emitting section and which are electrically connected to these organic light-emitting devices and moisture needs to be prevented from penetrating these organic light-emitting devices.